The Soul That Binds Us
by Tina Vainamainen
Summary: Maka has done just fine raising her 9-year-old daughter by herself. But when a very farmiliar albino comes back to town, her "perfect" life is changed. AU.
1. Prologue

"Let me see my baby." Maka demanded tiredly. After thirty-four hours of labor, who wouldn't be tired?

A nurse brought the newborn to her, wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Meanwhile, the birth certificate was being filled out.

"Born on February 27th, 2000 at 4:42 AM. Eye color: Blue. Hair color: White..."

Nothing going on around her was registering in Maka's mind. Everything simply went through one ear, out the other. The only thing she could think about was her newborn daughter.

Her's. Yes, the child in her arms only belonged to her. "You're so beautiful." Maka said, her finger running along the baby's soft cheek.  
At the touch, the infant began to cry.

"There, there. Mama's here." Maka cooed. She moved her gown so that her left breast was exposed. A small, loving smile spread across her face as the baby began to suckle.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?"

Maka tore her eyes away from her daughter to the woman holding the birth certificate. "Yes?" she said.  
"What is your child's name?" the woman asked, ready to write. "Kokoa Albarn." Maka replied.

"And how do you spell that?"

"K-O-K-O-A. A-L-B-A-R-N."

The woman wrote the name. "And who is her father?" she asked. Maka looked back down at her daughter, softly sighing.  
"Ma'am? His name?" the woman asked.

"Soul Eater Evans."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Well, there's the prolouge. What do you think? Please review! I like to know what you guys are thinking. Even if it's negative.**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	2. Who are you?

***9 Years Later***

Maka watched her daughter playing fetch with their chocolate laborador. Interesting how neither got bored of the on-going game.

Kokoa would throw the stick, which only went about five feet, and the dog would pick it up and bring it back. Still, both of them seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"Kokoa, Mama's going to go make some lunch, okay?" Maka said, standing. She heard an 'okay' and headed indoors.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"Good boy, Lucky!" Kokoa said as the brown dog placed the stick at her feet. She picked it up and got ready to throw.

"Go fetch!" she said, throwing it. To her surprise, the stick went much farther than before. Somewhere in the tall grass.  
Lucky's tail wagged even more as he ran after it.

Kokoa stood there, waiting for Lucky to return with the stick. There was sudden barking, growling, a yelp and whimpering.  
"Lucky?! I'm coming, boy!" Kokoa said as she ran into the grass.

Once she tracked down the dog, she gasped. Lucky was holding up his paw, looking hurt. A red-haired boy grinned, holding a metal rod.  
Anger filled Kokoa and she puffed out her cheeks with air. No one hurted her dog and got away with it.

"Leave him alone!" Kokoa demanded, coming to stand in front of the brown lab. She placed her hands on her hips, looking at the obviously older boy.

The boy tilted his head slightly, then laughed. "What are _you_ gonna do? Throw flowers at me?" he mocked. He repeatedly tapped the rod on the palm of his left hand.

Kokoa furrowed her brows, "No. I'll get my Mama, and she'll hit you with her book! Or I can Koko-kick you!"

"I'm terrified." the boy said sarcastically. "You asked for it." Kokoa said. She raised her leg. "Kokoooo..." she swung her leg, "KICK!"  
Her leg went right between the boy's legs.

He doubled-over. Kokoa made a sound of satasfaction. "Let's go, Lucky." she said, grabbing the dog's collar and begining to lead him home.

"Not so fast. You're gonna pay for that." the boy said from behind her.

Kokoa didn't even get the chance to turn around before the metal met her right shoulder. "OW!" she cried. Without thinking, she ran.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

She ran down the street, the boy still chasing her. By now, she had been hit three times. Her shoulder and both legs ached from the impacts.  
"Leave me alone!" Kokoa cried.

A man came into sight, and Kokoa took the chance to hide behind one of his legs.

The boy stopped in front of the man. "Move outta my way, old man!" he said. Kokoa saw the man's eyebrows rise.

"_Old_? Listen kid, I'm 27. Still young here. And why are you chasing this girl? It's not cool. Not at all." the man said.

"Who cares? Move!" the boy said. He looked about ready to hit the man. However, the man didn't budge.

The boy swung the rod, but it was stopped by the man's hand. "I don't get how you can be so uncool." the man said. "Give me that." He took the metal rod.

"Get." the man said. Without another word, the boy ran off.

Kokoa looked up at the man who was now looking at her. She was shocked to see that he had white hair like her, but garnet eyes.  
"Who are you?" she found herself asking, "I'm Kokoa."

The man smiled, showing off sharp teeth. "Soul."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Who guessed it was Soul before he actually said so? Please review, I'll love you forever if you do!**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	3. An Agument With A Surprising Ending

"Kokoa?! Koko?!" Maka called worriedly. She couldn't find her daughter anywhere and Lucky had come to the door with a hurt paw.

She suddenly caught the sight of a little white-haired girl running towards her. "Kokoa!" she said, running to meet the girl.  
Maka hugged her daughter tightly, not seeing the man that was behind the girl.

"Mama, let go. I want you to meet my new friend. He's really cool!" Kokoa said. Maka slowly let her go and stood. "Alright."

Kokoa smiled brightly, "This is Soul!"

Maka looked at the man with wide eyes. How long had he been there? Why was he here any way? Wasn't he supposed to be in Europe?  
"Hey, Maka. It's been a while." Soul said, cracking his signiture smirk.

"Hello, Soul." Maka said. She looked back down at Kokoa, "Go on inside and eat your lunch." The little girl gave a nod and ran off towards their house.

The moment she was gone, Maka got serious. "Why are you here?" she asked. Soul laughed, "You haven't changed much."  
"Just tell me." Maka said. She didn't want a simple conversation right now.

"Just settling down is all. I'm opening a store a few blocks down. Maybe Kokoa would like to come by and see it. We talked on the way here, she seems interested." Soul said.  
Maka put her hands on her hips, "Wy should I allow her to?"

"It'd be nice. She is my daughter, doesn't take a genious to realize." Soul said. Maka narrowed her eyes, "BlackStar told you about her."

"Yep."

Maka was about to say something when she noticed that they were at the door of her house. When had they gotten there?  
The door opened and Kokoa stood there smiling. "Can Soul come in, Mama?" she asked.

Soul made a puppy-dog face, "Can Soul come in?"

Maka mouthed the words 'I hate you' as she allowed him to enter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kokoa had finally gone to sleep after about a half-an-hour of convincing. This also included Maka having to pinkie-promise that Soul would visit again.

"What now?" Soul asked as Maka re-entered the living room. She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Leave. Now." she said.

Soul gave a half-smile, "That's a little rude."

Maka sighed. "Sorry. Leave now, please." she almost spat out the 'please'. Still, Soul did not move.  
"What do you want?" Maka asked.

"I want to talk about this." Soul said. "No." Maka replied. Soul gave her a look that said he wasn't giving her a choice.  
The ash-blonde woman sighed, "Fine."

She sat down on the navy-blue couch, Soul sitting beside her.

"You know she's your daughter, so what do you want to talk about?" Maka asked. She just wanted this over with. That way, Soul would leave and she could figure some things out.

"How about the fact that you never told me?" Soul said. Maka didn't have to ask, she knew what he was asking. "I didn't want to burden you." she half-lied.

Soul narrowed his eyes, "Burden me? We both know that's a load of bull. Now tell me the truth."

"Fine." Maka said. "When I found out I was pregnant was the same day you announced that you were leaving. To be honest, I was upset. It seemed as if you cared more about that job than you did me.  
But you know what? I didn't say anything. Even when you left for the airport, I kept my mouth shut. Why? Because I was willing to take on that baby by myself."

"What the hell does that mean?" Soul asked.

Maka crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "That means, that I let you do what was most important to you. Meanwhile, I did what was most important to me. I still am."

"And what's that, Maka?" Soul asked, not showing any hint of anger.

"Raising Kokoa." Maka said bluntly. "And I have done just fine too so far." she added.

Silence followed. Maka opened her eyes, but left her arms crossed. Soul was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes now closed.  
He then looked up at her.

"Maka, it would have been just fine if you had told me. I could have stayed." he said.

"Yes, I know. But things didn't happen that way. Why do you even care?" Maka asked. For some reason, anger was sparking in her.

Soul seemed to get mad at this. "Why? She's my fucking daughter! That's why!" he said.

Anger only escalated between the two. To the point oof which they were yelling.

"I can't believe we're really arguing about this! You're acting like I would've abandoned you or something!" Soul said behind gritted teeth.

"Maybe you would've!" Maka replied. Her arms were at her sides, her face getting red. "You know that cool guys don't do shit like that!" the albino in front of her shouted.  
At this point, Kokoa could wake up any second. But that was the last thing on their minds.

"Ugh, I hate you! You know that? I absolutely hate you!" Maka shouted. Her face was now in Soul's. She could smell him, his virilness and anger.

"Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you?!" Soul asked suddenly. "I thought I was going to have to ask!" Maka said.

The next thing they knew, they were in Maka's bedroom.

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A/N: Haha, aweosme ending, right? Let's see what happens next. Review, and I'll give you a live-sized Soul doll!

Soul: Let me go! This is not cool!

Me: Shut up before I knock you out again!

Later, friends!

- Takashimo ;) 


	4. The Next Day

The next morning, Kokoa asked what happened after she went to bed.

"Um, nothing, Koko." Maka said, a slight blush flooded her cheeks. Soul had not stayed the night. After their little...time, he'd pulled on his clothes and left.  
Both of them had agreed that it was best. After all, how would Kokoa react to a man she'd just met in bed with her mama?

"Can I go to his store after school, Mama? Maybe Nick can come too!" Kokoa said. Nickolai was one of Kokoa's best friends.

Maka sighed, "Maybe. Your bus should be here soon, eat your breakfast."

She watched as her daughter ate her eggs and toast. Then waved good-bye as the bus pulled away from their house. Maka sighed and looked down at Lucky, who was lying on his bed in the kitchen. "Well, how about a walk?" she asked.

Lucky's tail wagged and he barked. "You're lucky that your paw is strong enough, Lucky." Maka said.

**(A/N: Get it? Lucky? I know, shut up, Taka. T^T)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Maka walked through the park, trying to keep Lucky from pulling ahead too much.

"Hello, beautiful."

A sigh escaped Maka as she turned around. "Hello, Mr. Newfeild." she said. The orange-haired man smiled, "You can call me Lucus. Your daughter isn't around."  
Sadly, Maka thought. Kokoa was the only thing that kept this guy from acting inappropriately.

"Anyway, would you like to come by for lunch perhaps?" Lucus asked. Maka sweatdropped. "It's only about 9." she said, hoping that was enough. But, no.  
"Then just come over then. It'll be nice." Lucus persisted.

Maka was about to make another excuse when a hand was placed on her shoulder from behind. She already knew who it was.

"She can't," Soul said, "She already promised to help me organize some things in my store."

Lucus frowned. But then smiled as he looked back at Maka, "Why not tonight then?"

"Um, I'm sorry, but I can't. Kokoa." Maka said before Soul could speak. Lucus sighed, "Alright then. See you around, lovely." With that, he walked away.

Maka turned to face Soul. "You had to pop up didn't you?" she asked, frowning. "Would you have prefered that I hadn't? Anyway, come on." Soul said, begining to lead to who knows where.

"Where are we going?" Maka asked. Soul looked at her out the corner of his eye, "To my store." Of course. Why hadn't she realized earlier?

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You stepped on a crack." Aaron said.

Kokoa raised an eyebrow, "So?"

Aaron looked at her as though it was obvious. "You broke your mom's back." he said. "Aren't you too old for that?" Kokoa asked.  
"No," Sunday answered before Aaron. "He may be older than us, but he's got the mind of a two-year-old."

"Hey, that's an insult," Kokoa said. Aaron smiled at being defended. But then frowned when Kokoa added, "To two-year-olds."

"Whatever, you two love me." Aaron said, regaining his pride. This was responded to by the laughter of the younger girls. Once again, Aaron's pride was hurt.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Aaron and Sunday are Kid's kids. They are cousins, and half-siblings. Figure it out.**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	5. A Little Story

"I must admit, this is a very nice store so far. But some things could use some organizing." Maka said as she looked about the store.

Soul only smirked, "Told ya."

Maka shook her head as she began to look through a box.

**xxxxxxxx**

The next time Maka looked up, she saw the analog clock on the wall. "Kokoa! She should be out of school by now!" she said.  
She picked up Lucky's lesh and began walking towards the door. But Soul stopped her.

"What are you doing?" Maka asked.

"You don't have to worry about her. I worked it out." he told her. Maka gave an uncertain look, "What do you mean by that?"

The albino smirked. "Called the school," he said, "She's gonna walk here."

What? When had he? Maka realized that Soul had most likely done this before he got her to come. He planned this!  
"Bastard." Maka muttered, mostly to herself. Soul heard it anyway. "No, I'm not. Cool guys aren't bastards." he said.

Just before Maka could say something back, the bell over the door rang. There stood Kokoa.

"Did you have a good day?" Maka asked, smiling. "Uh, huh." Kokoa replied. The girl's attention seemed to be more on Soul than her mother.

The big, innocent blue eyes seemed to only see him. As though he were the most fascinating person in the world.

"Whatcha' lookin' at, darling?" Soul asked. Kokoa looked away imediately, "Sorry."

Maka was slightly upset, but sat down. She was oddly interested in seeing how this would go.

Soul laughed and set his hand on her head, ruffling softly. "How come you're so shy right now? Last time, you were talking up a storm!"

Kokoa smiled. "Now, can I hear the rest of the story that you were telling last night?" Soul asked.

At this, Maka sat up a little more. She had always admired her daughter's ability to make-up wonderful stories. Most had magic, while some were more realistic.

"Okay!" Kokoa said, hopping up on a stool.

The little girl picked up where she had left off. The story was a realistic one. About a boy who saved a girl from being hurt badly in a fight.

The boy had jumped in front of the girl, and got a long cut on his chest. When he did that, the girl got scared and cried. She thought that he'd die.

At the hospital, the girl was happy to see that he was alright. So happy, she started to cry again. The boy asked why she was crying, and she said that she was relieved.

After that, the boy and girl spent a lot of time together. Eventually, they fell in love and got married. They were never unhappy from then on.

"That was a pretty good story, darling." Soul said, smiling.

Maka nodded, "Yes. You really are great at telling stories."

Kokoa looked proud of herself. "Thank you." she said.

A look out the glass doors of the store, and Maka was standing. "It's getting dark. We 'ought to get home." she said.  
Her daughter got off the stool and began to walk over to her side. But Soul stopped her.

The sound of a squeal made Maka turn around. Soul was holding Kokoa in his arms and tickling her. The girl was squealing and trying to make him stop.  
"Only if you promise to tell me more stories next time." Soul said. "Okay! I will!" Kokoa laughed.

Soul set Kokoa down, and she hurried on to Maka's side. "Bye, Soul!" she said as they left.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Mama?" Kokoa said as they walked down the sidewalk. "Yes, Koko?" Maka said.

"It was nice back there. Almost like we were a family, Mama." Kokoa said, looking down at her moving feet. This took Maka a bit by surprise. What was her daughter getting at?

"Do you think, maybe one day, Daddy will come home? I know you said he won't, but..."

Maka sighed. Through these years, she had done her hardest to give Kokoa the best. But this, was something she couldn't.  
Maybe she was being foolish. It wasn't really Soul's fault, but she just couldn't get over it.

And that story. It matched the time that she first met him. When she fell in love with him. _No!_ she thought, _I'm not going to let him get to me, too._

The more she thought about this, the more angry she became. Who was _he_ to just barge in on their lives? Everything had been fine and simple. But now, mixed-up and complicated.

"Mama? What do you think?" Kokoa asked.

"I don't know," Maka said, "I just don't know."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**A/N: Now this is picking up. This fic might not be that long. Like ten chapters or so. I don't know, we'll have to see. Now for a little poll.**

**Is Maka being angry for no good reason? Type 'A' if you think so.**

**Should Soul try a little harder to get his way in? Type 'B'.**

**Is Kokoa the cutest little thing ever? Type 'C'.**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	6. I Love You, Daddy

"So, Soul's back in town?" Tsubaki asked.

Maka had invited her two friend's over, convinced that she needed women's advice.

"I'm sure you know that already," Maka said, "What do I do, though?"

Liz spoke up, "Have you told him about Kokoa?" Maka sighed, "Didn't have to. BlackStar got to him first."

"Have you told Kokoa about him?" Tsubaki asked. Silence was the answer. Tsubaki looked at Maka disapprovingly, "You have to tell her."

"I know. It's just that I'd feel better if-" Maka was cut off by Liz. "You'd feel better." Liz said.

Maka looked at her. "What?" she asked.

"You'd feel better. _You._ Think about Kokoa. All of us have seen the look on her face. Whenever BlackStar's with Blue, for Kid's with Aaron and Sunday." Liz said.

Maka frowned. Liz was right. Kokoa always had a longing look in her eyes, despite the smile she'd force on.  
Just the memory of that expression broke her heart.

"Fine. I'll tell her." she said. "Soon" Tsubaki said. "Soon." Maka agreed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Why did Soul have to offer? Now Kokoa was looking at Maka with pleading eyes.

"Tell me why I should let you?" Maka asked, looking at Soul with crossed arms. She knew that she really had no choice in this, concerning that she had to leave soon.  
But why should she allow Soul to babysit her daughter?

"Well, at this point, it's either me or that weird guy. Tsu and Liz are both busy with their own kids." Soul replied.

Okay, that was certainly true. "Alright." Maka said, giving up.

Soul looked at Kokoa with a smile. Maka pursed her lips as she made her way to the door. "I'll be back at 9. Kokoa better be asleep by 7." she said.

"I hear ya." Soul said, "Asleep by 7."

Maka gave him a look as she exited the house.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Soul asked, looking down at Kokoa.

It was 6:36. A little under half-an-hour before she'd have to shut it down for the night.

"Can we watch a movie?" Kokoa asked. Already, she was in her pink kitten-designed pajamas.

"Okay. What do you wanna watch?" Soul asked. Kokoa jumped up and picked out a DVD from the cabinet next to the TV. She handed it to Soul.

"The Game Plan?" Soul asked. He'd heard about the movie, but never watched it.

Kokoa nodded. "It's my favorite." she said. "Can we watch it?"  
"Sure, darling." Soul said. He turned on the DVD player and placed the movie inside. "Okay, it's playing." he said.

The two of them settled on the couch.

It was twenty minutes into the movie when Kokoa spoke, "Wanna know why I like this movie?" "Why?" Soul asked.  
"Because they always end up happy. Peyton and her dad. It's nice." Kokoa said.

"How's that?" Soul asked. He was gently stroking her hair as she laid on his lap.

"Because it just is. Having a dad must be great. Mama told me that my daddy's far away. I wish I could see him." Kokoa said.

Soul smiled a little, "He's closer than you think, darling." Kokoa looked up at him. "You think so?" she asked.  
"Of course. It wouldn't be cool if I was lying." Soul said.

Kokoa yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Tired?" Soul asked. The girl nodded. Soul pulled her up into his arm and began rocking back and forth.  
Slowly, Kokoa's eyes began to feel heavy. She whispered something before falling asleep. "I love you, Daddy."

Soul kissed her forehead, "I love you, too."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: First off, when Kokoa said 'I love you', she wasn't speaking to Soul. She was more talking to herself actually. But now that Soul responded, she does know.**

**I've started listening to songs on YouTube while typing. The ones that helped set up this chapter were:**

**_"If Everyone Cared"_, _"Lullaby",_ and _"If Today Was Your Last Day"_ by Nickleback**

**_"My Little Girl"_ by Tim McGraw**

**Later, friends! Don't forget to review!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	7. Daddy?

"Mama, we're doing a school play! Ms. Patterson said so!" Maka heard Kokoa say as the girl entered their house. She turned, but Soul had already beaten her.

Maka sighed. In the two days that had past since Soul had babysat her daughter, he seemed to be around more often.

"What's the play?" Soul asked as he placed Kokoa on his lap. Anyone would figure they were father and daughter. Both had white hair, and Kokoa's canines were oddly sharp.

Kokoa smiled brightly as she held up what Maka guessed was the flyer. "Cinderella. I get to play Cinderella!" she said.

"That's great, darling. Maybe I could come see." Soul said, glancing at Maka.

Kokoa looked at her mother. "Can Daddy come?" she asked. Soul sweatdropped.

Maka's eyes widened a bit, "Daddy?"

"Can he come?" Kokoa asked again. Maka was still a bit surprised. When did she find out? They only way could be- Soul.

"Let just talk to Daddy for a moment, Koko." Maka said as calmly as possible. Truth was, she was fuming.

"Alright." Kokoa said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Soul rubbed his head. A bump was beginning to form on the spot where the dictionary hit him. He grumbled quietly, looking at the woman before him.

"You actually told her?!" Maka asked.

"Not exactly. I told her I loved her when she said she loved 'Daddy'." Soul said. He received another chop. "Okay, you keep hitting me, it won't change anything."

Maka crossed her arms, but went silent.

"Listen," Soul said, "I've been gone nine years, and only a few days ago found out that I have a daughter. Did you think I wasn't going to do anything?"

No answer came.

"Well, I am. Kokoa knows I'm her father now, and that can't simply be taken back. We have to work together. Or that little smiling girl, she's not gonna be smiling anymore."

After a long silence, Maka sighed. "Okay. I guess you're right." she said, then got in Soul's face. "But you screw up just once, I'll Maka-chop you into the next century."

Soul chuckled, "Understood."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You look tired." BlackStar said.

Soul did his best to hold a glare at his friend, "No shit, Sherlock."

BlackStar gasped, covering Blue's ears. "Not in front of the kid." he said. Soul only shook his head and looked at Kid.

"How's it with Liz?" he asked.

"Fine. She's crazed about Aaron's birthday. Keeps saying stuff about getting a giraffe-designed birthday cake." Kid said.

"How old's he gonna be this year? Five?" BlackStar asked. The blue-haired idiot wasn't paying much attention.

"No. Eleven." Kid said.

BlackStar sat up, "Really?! That means I owe 'im seven presents! Dammit."

Soul gave him a look. "I thought you didn't want any cussing around Blue."

"Ha! A god can say anything he wants! Anyway, my little star likes it. Isn't that right?" BlackkStar asked his two year old daughter.

Blue chose this time to say her first word, "Daaammit!"

BlackStar's face paled while Soul and Kid laughed. "Oh, shit."

"Wonder how Tsubaki will react to this!" Soul said, already texting to the black-haired woman.

"No! You cannot let her know! Your god will not allow it!" BlackStar said, trying to snatch the cell phone away.

Kid was still laughing and Blue repeatedly said the only word she knew.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Blue was mentioned earlier. Obviously, she's BlackStar and Tsubaki's daughter. Like her first word?**

**Thank you, all who have reviewed. I _REALLY_ appreciate it! Keep reviewing!**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	8. Interested How?

Kokoa had skipped all the way to the park. Maka and Soul were just a few feet behind her, of course, Lucky kept pulling on the leash in Maka's hand.

"Come on! I want Daddy to meet Nick!" Kokoa said, standing at the gate entrance.

"Alright, Koko." Maka said.

They entered the park, and almost immediately bumped into Lucus.

"Do you sleep here or something?" Soul asked. Maka slapped him on the arm. "Don't be rude, Soul." she warned.

Lucus smiled. "Nevermind it," he said, then looked at Kokoa. "How are you?"

Kokoa didn't answer, but backed up until she was next to Maka. This caught Soul's attention. Sometimes, kids had better judgement than adults. Like animals. Speaking of which, Lucky gave a quiet whimper.

"Kokoa, answer." Maka said. The look in her eyes said that she just wanted this over with.

"I'm _fine_." Kokoa said. Soul had never heard the flat, quiet tone ever come out of the girl.

Maka, seeming fine with the tone, smiled her sweetest at Lucus. "She just wants to go play with her friend." she said.

"I see," Lucus said. He eyed Soul, "I never did catch your name."

"Soul Eater." Soul said.

Kokoa moved to his side. "He's my daddy." she said. At the look on Lucus's face, Kokoa almost smiled.

"You're...her father?" Lucus asked. Soul nodded, placing a hand on his daughter's back.

Lucus said no more as he turned and walked away.

"What's with that dude?" Soul asked. He noticed how relief had flowed over Maka and Kokoa.

Maka sighed. "Nothing. He's just been...interested." she said. "Kokoa, you go on and play. Me and Daddy are gonna go sit down. Kay?"

"Okay." Kokoa said. She seemed to hesitate leaving Soul's side, but eventually went off towards a brown-haired boy.

Soul followed Maka with only one thought on his head. _Interested how?_

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

About twenty minutes later, Kokoa came up to them with the boy beside her.

"Daddy, this is Nick. He's my best friend!" she said.

Soul sat up and held out a hand for the boy to shake. "'Sup, Nick?" he asked.

"Actually, my name's Nickolai. K just calls me Nick. Like I call her 'K'." Nickolai said.

"I think I'll call you Nick too. Sounds cool." Soul said.

Nickolai smiled at that. He then said hello to Maka. "Hello, Nickolai." Maka said.

"Well, we're gonna go back and play. Nick has to leave soon." Kokoa said.

The two kids then hurried back to wherever they had been playing.

Soul sat back, relaxed.

"What, no 'overprotective, I-hate-boys' act?" Maka asked. She smiled when he looked at her with one raised brow.

"No. They're not teenagers or anything." Soul said.

Maka waited until Soul was fully relaxed to comment, "For now."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: This was short. I suck. T^T**

**But it's getting close to the end. Do you want a sequel? Type Yes or No.**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	9. Marry Me

"It's getting late," Maka said, "Let's get Kokoa."

Soul got up without argument. He had been bored anyway. And, his leg fell asleep. "Great. I _love_ how it feels when it wakes back up." he said sarcastically.

He looked up, "What are you doing?"

Maka was looking around, seeming almost confused. She turned with a very distressed expression. "Soul, I don't see Kokoa." the blonde said.

"She probably is in a tree or something." Soul said. Kids like climbing trees, right?

Maka shook her head, "No. Kokoa knows not to go out of sight. She never has."

Soul knew this was true. For the past two hours, Kokoa hadn't gone out of either of their sight. And now, was nowhere to be seen.

A panic was setting over Maka. "Where is she? What if she went off into the street? She could get hit by a car!" she said. Soul tried to calm her down, though he was upset too.

Lucky's bark caught their attention. The brown dog pulled on the leash, continuing to bark.

While Soul was confused, Maka knew what this meant. Lucky knew where Kokoa was. "Go, boy!" she said, dropping the leash.

Immediately, the lab bolted. Maka ran after him as fast as her legs could push her.

Soul stood there for a moment, then followed.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Kokoa struggled against the strong arms around her. She had tried to scream, which only got some kind of cloth stuffed in her mouth.

Now, she had no idea what to do but kick and hit. Of course she knew who her captor was. Lucus.

"Hold still, you little brat!" he said. When she only persisted in struggling, he slapped her face.

Tears flooded Kokoa's eyes and she stopped fighting. She began crying loudly.

"Dammit. Shut the hell up!" Lucus growled.

The crying did not quiet, but another sound towered over it. Barking.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Maka and Soul had followed Lucky blindly, hoping that the dog really did know where their daughter was.

When they finally stopped, Lucky had gone from barking, to growling.

Right there, was Kokoa. Crying and some of her clothes torn off. Lucus had a surprised look on his face.

Maka was first to move, quickly running up and snatching Kokoa away. She then moved off and held her daughter close. "Soul." she said.

Soul got the message and punched Lucus in the face. "You motherfucker, I knew there was something off about you!" he said, bringing his foot down on Lucus's face repeatedly.

"Okay, Soul, that's enough. Can't have you kill him before the police get here. I just called them." Maka said.

"Fine." Soul said.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

After Lucus had been arrested, Soul took Maka and Kokoa home.

"Let me see that face, darling." Soul said. There was a large red spot on Kokoa's face. Hard to tell if it was from her crying, or the slap Lucus had given.

Soul heard Maka crying quietly behind him. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her. Maybe it was a stupid question.

"How could I have let this happen? Kokoa, I'm so sorry." Maka said.

Kokoa got up and went to her mother. "Dont cry, Mama," she said, wiping Maka's tears, "It's not your fault."

"She's right," Soul said, "It's not. If anything, it's the community's fault. Letting a bastard like that into the city. So uncool."

Maka smiled a little. "Alright." she said.

Soul took this moment as perfect. He slipped a small black box from his pocket.

"What's that, Daddy?" Kokoa asked, seeing it. Maka looked up at him.

"Perhaps I should have done this nine years ago. But nothing's better than the present, huh?" Soul said, begining to open the box.

Maka gasped, and Kokoa's eyes brightened. Inside the box was a ring. Appearing to be made of silver.

"Marry me, Maka?" Soul asked.

Maka thought back to the past week. And the years before Kokoa had been born. Slowly, she began nodding. "Yes. I think I will." she said.

"Yay!" Kokoa cheered. She bounced around the room happily.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Nice ending, right? There's still one more chapter, then the sequel!**

**For anyone who might have had trouble pronouncing Kokoa's name (just now brought to my attention), here's how. Coco-Ah.**

**Which of the Soul Eater openings are your fav? Resonance, Black Paper Moon, Counter Idenity, or Ai Ga Hoshii Yo? Mine is the last.**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


	10. A Mad Tsubaki And A Surprise

"BlackStar, what happened to your face?! It's absolutely asymmetrical!" Kid spazzed.

"Tsubaki found out about Blue's first word. She's looking for Soul now." BlackStar said.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tsubaki stormed over to the house she knew that Soul now lived with Maka and their daughter. How could he have let BlackStar teach Blue that word? After she was done with him, she was going after Kid.

"SOUL! COME OUT HERE!" she ordered, knocking harshly on the door.

The moment Soul opened the door, she kicked his balls. "What the hell was that for?!" Soul asked, sinking to his knees.

"For letting BlackStar teach Blue her first word!" Tsubaki said.

Maka appeared behind Soul, "What's going on? Soul, why are you on the ground?"

"Why is it my fault?! Star's the one who said it!" Soul said, still in pain.

Tsubaki ignored him and looked at Maka, "He allowed BlackStar to teach Blue to say 'dammit'." she said.

Maka quickly grabbed a book and Maka-chopped Soul. "Why did you let him do that?" she asked.

Soul groaned, "It's not like I told him to! He said it, and she repeated!"

"Now I've got to go find Kid." Tsubaki said, "Bye, Maka."

They watched as Tsubaki left, calling Liz on her cell phone. Maka sighed and shut the door.

"Why did you Maka-chop me?" Soul asked. "Because you let BlackStar do that. And hormones, I guess." Maka replied.

"Hormones?" Soul said, finally able to stand.

Maka smiled as Kokoa approached them. "Guess what, Koko." she said.

"What?" Kokoa asked.

"You gonna be getting a brother or sister soon." Maka said.

Both Kokoa and Soul's eyes widened.

"Really!? Yay!" Kokoa said happily.

Maka looked at Soul, "What do you think?"

Soul didn't answer for a moment. "I think I should've stayed in Europe." he joked. However, Maka didn't find it very funny and Maka-chopped him.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: End! Now it's sequel time!**

**Later, friends!**

**- Takashimo ;)**


End file.
